Thursday, February 9, 2017

In late January 2017 digital and
print copies of several genealogies from the Jack Tobin
Papers were given to the Council of Iroij (Council of High
Chiefs) of the Marshall Islands. The previously-made agreement relating to
access was reconfirmed, this time by the entire Council. As part of the
agreement the Pacific Collection created print copies for the Library at the
College of the Marshall Islands, for the Historic Preservation Office, for the
Alele (National Library, Archives and Museum), and for the Council. This is the
conclusion of several years of work between the UHM Pacific Collection and
Wilbert Alik, the head of the Department of Marshallese Studies at the College
of the Marshall Islands.

The originals of these genealogies were donated to the University of
Hawai'i-Manoa Library by Dr. Tobin in increments over several years, and will
be permanently archived by the Pacific Collection. Dr. Tobin first went to the
Marshall Islands in 1950 as a student of Dr. Len Mason, to work on the Pacific
Science Board's Coral Atoll Project (CAP). Later in 1950, Tobin was hired as an
anthropological field consultant by the Civil Administration Unit of Naval
Operations. During the Trust Territory Administration era, he served as the
sole district anthropologist for the Marshall Islands, a position he held
through 1957. Between 1967 and 1975, he served as community development adviser
to the Marshall Islands. (More on Dr. Tobin's life and work can be found here. To view an online collection of photographs from Dr. Tobin's time in the Marshalls, click here.)

Dr. Tobin worked on collecting and editing the genealogies throughout the
decades he spent in the Marshall Islands, and remained closely connected to the
islands even after he had retired and relocated to Honolulu. Many thanks to Seth
Irwin, Ellie Seaton, Allyson Ota, and Kealiʻi MacKenzie who all worked at
various times to ensure these sacred objects were preserved, digitized and
copied. Thanks to Ruth Abbott and Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner for transporting the
copies from Hawaiʻi to the Marshall Islands.

About Us

The Hawaiian & Pacific Collections are located on the fifth floor of Hamilton Library, on the campus of University of Hawaii-Manoa. For general questions about either collection, contact: hawnpac@hawaii.edu This blog began publishing on Oct. 30, 2009, and is edited by Pacific specialist librarian Stu Dawrs. Contact: dawrs@hawaii.edu